Our Neighborhood

We looked all over the city for the perfect place to live, and also in some nearby communities outside of ABQ. We considered commute time, traffic, the feel of the neighborhood, options for walking/biking, safety, views, and the likelihood of being able to buy or build a large garage for Stephen. Once Stephen "discovered" the Four Hills neighborhood, we kept returning, drawn by all the advantages listed above. At first, we really liked Tijeras, a town in the mountains East of the city, because it reminded us the most of the Adirondacks. But then we were told that they get a lot of snow and that the state simply closes the roads when that happens so you're either stuck at home or stuck at work until it melts. Stephen said he wasn't planning to take his plow to New Mexico, and crossed that area off the list.

Four Hills is on the Southeastern corner of ABQ. It was the "fancy" neighborhood in the late 60's and 70s. There is one entrance to the development, off Central Avenue (Route 66) and you drive through a little valley and across a bridge to get into it. That's one reason it's considered a safe neighborhood, because the one entrance is easy to patrol. There's a lot of property crime in ABQ, and we were told that wherever we lived in the city, we needed an alarm system and would not be able to be casual about locking up the way we were in Schuylerville. That is an aspect of city life that I don't much care for, but everyone we spoke to agreed that it is necessary. There is one security company in Four Hills that patrols in SUVs with armed response to alarms, but we decided that was a little much and chose a more traditional company; the one the previous owners had used. It only took me a couple of days to get used to setting the alarm, and it's easy to use. I haven't set it off accidentally yet!

Since Four Hills is an older neighborhood, it has plenty of mature trees in the landscape, which sets it apart in ABQ and makes it very pleasant. The houses are a mix of styles. There are plenty of modest brick ranches just like you would expect from a development built in the 70's.

And there are a few houses that would look perfectly at home in Clifton Park, NY. Then there are a lot of houses with Spanish style elements or New Mexico style, like ours. There are some that were ultra-modern when they were built, like this artistic design.

And there are some million-dollar mansions like this one that you can look down on from a promontory in the open space.

Our house sits between two cul-de-sacs. This is the gate into our back yard, and our neighbor's house beyond.

This is our neighbor across the street:

At the end of our cul-de-sac is the open space with miles of walking and mountain bike trails.

The open space borders on the Air Force base:

But you can walk along our side of the fence all the way up the mountain.



When you've climbed the hill a short distance, you can look back and see over Four Hills to the city.

On my way to work today, I saw this magnificent fellow chewing on our neighbor's shrubbery. Good thing most of our edible greenery is within the walled-in yard!

Albuquerque Rocks!

It was in the 50's yesterday afternoon so I abandoned the housework and went for a walk. Stephen was out riding his motorcycle. These photos were all taken in the open space behind our house.

A New Year, New Challenges

Christmas in NY was lovely, with snow at just the right time to make the country beautiful, but not to delay our flights. We stayed in Valley Falls for the first part of the vacation, then I stayed in Schaghticoke when Stephen returned to NM to go back to work. It was so great to have the opportunity to spend time with our families!

Our house in Schuylerville is in the process of being sold, and we made several trips there to empty the garage and clean the mess the inspector left in the house. Here are some highlights of the vacation. I kept forgetting to take pictures, so these are sort of random:

The Valley Falls house decorated for Christmas.

Making cookies with my Mom.

Lunch at the Gideon Putnam.

My Mom and I twice wore the same outfit without consulting each other. So funny!

I'm afraid that Stephen's vacation wasn't as relaxing as mine. He needed to load his truck and car trailer with some large machine equipment from the shop, some purchased machine tools for his company, his motorcycle, and various other large and cumbersome things from the garage, such as an engine and a transmission, an engine hoist, etc. The trailer needed some work first, and then it took three days to get the equipment loaded and secured, and THEN it turned out that there was too much weight, so some difficult decisions had to be made regarding what to leave behind. Stephen's friend Ray and his wife Sandy had volunteered to drive the rig to New Mexico, and it turned out to be a long and stressful trip with several stops for repairs along the way.
Debby and I helped for part of one day and lent some levity to the proceedings:

Speaking of stressful days, my trip home with Spike was one I'd like to forget. I brought Annabelle to NM with me when I moved in September, because she is an indoor cat who could live in the one bedroom apartment with us. But our outdoor cat, Spike, stayed with a very kind friend in Schuylerville while we searched for a house. Now that we're settled into a big house with a walled-in back yard, it was time to bring Spike to NM to rejoin the family. Unfortunately, he had developed hyperthyroidism in the meantime, a common ailment in older cats, and one that we only discovered during the week after Christmas. So he spent several days at the vet and had not yet had time to respond to the treatment when it was time to leave. Annabelle was uncooperative at security and noisy during the trip, but Spike was much, much worse. He peed in the soft-sided cat carrier before we even boarded the first plane, and pooped somewhere along the way. He howled and clawed at the sides of the carrier. I went into a self-contained family restroom in Albany airport and tried to clean up, but the mild hand soap was no match for cat pee, which has to be one of the most acrid, eye-searing odors in existence. In case you don't know, airplanes are very small, enclosed spaces without a lot of ventilation. The people around me were, I'm sure, horrified. I tried to explain that I didn't WANT to fly with a cat, and that I had even tried to find a permanent home for him in NY to avoid it, but I'm sure everyone had already decided that I was the crazy cat lady. Thank goodness my flights were on time. That was the only thing that went right that day. When Stephen picked me up, we secured the carrier with Spike in the bed of the truck (it has a cap) but Stephen had to drive with the windows open because I had become so stinky by that point. I'm just lucky he didn't make ME ride in the bed of the truck with Spike. Upon arrival at the house, I gave Spike a bath in the utility sink, then put all my clothes including my sneakers and coat into the washing machine and took a long shower. Ugh. Unhappy cat!

Now, a week later, things are starting to settle into a routine, thank goodness. Stephen still has to go to Oklahoma to pick up the trailer, which only made it that far before requiring an axle. And Annabelle still thinks that Spike is an interloper instead of her brother who shared a house with her for 10 years. But Stephen is enjoying his work and getting excited about projects he is coordinating. I started a new gig filling in for a band director who is on leave, perhaps for the remainder of the school year. I have a middle school jazz band and three grade level bands, each with an hour of rehearsal every day! That's a LOT of rehearsal planning, but I am so happy to have meaningful work to do. I'm still teaching at the studio as well, which means 12 hour work days for me until the end of Feb. when the studio teacher on maternity leave comes back to work. We are in love with our new house and I am particularly in love with the kitchen. The days are mostly sunny and although it's cold at night, it's usually in the high 30's to mid-40's by afternoon. Stephen is thrilled to be able to ride his motorcycle in January.
The excellent adventure continues...

Christmas in New Mexico

Our first week in the new house went by in a blur of work and appointments and getting things set up and ready to leave for a trip to NY. In all the rush, Christmas preparations were not on the top of our to-do list, but we knew we wanted to take a day to relax and celebrate in some fashion. Buying presents for each other was out of the question -- there was simply no time -- but we thought we might buy something for the house to give each other as a Christmas gift. On Friday, I went to the apartment to finish cleaning it, pick up any last mail, and do laundry (we don't have a washer and dryer at the house yet). While I was waiting for laundry to dry, I drove to a (normally) empty lot in the desert that had been turned into a Christmas Tree store with a temporary fence and an RV. A folding table was set up with a cash box and credit card swiper. I was driving the company truck which only has a 6 foot bed, so I bought a 6 foot tree, choosing the first one in the row for the sake of time. I still needed to be back at the house to meet the alarm company guy, then I had to go to work at the music studio. It was 40+ degrees and sunny without a hint of snow. So different from our usual weather when we would get a tree at Olde Saratoga Home and Garden and stand around in the cold and snow while we talked with the owners. Stephen took the tree out of the truck and put it on the stand while I was at work in the evening, and that was the extent of our pre-Christmas preparation.

Saturday the 22nd was the day we had set aside for our Christmas, since we are scheduled to fly to NY on Sunday. We started by sleeping in, a luxury we haven't had in several weekends. I got up first and started the dough for cinnamon buns. The manufactured granite countertop in the new kitchen is fabulous for kneading and rolling out dough! I never minded regular laminate countertops, but now I know the practical difference. I had been trying to figure out the adjustments for high altitude baking and for the convection oven, but decided to just wing it and watch them carefully as they baked. Stephen gave an enthusiastic endorsement to the result.

After breakfast (which was more like brunch by the time the rolls were done) we decorated the tree. I bought this New Mexico ornament when Katie and I were in Old Town last weekend.

Stephen helped, and Annabelle considered which ornament to pounce on first.

While we were decorating, our across-the-street neighbors stopped by to introduce themselves and to bring us a gift to welcome us to the neighborhood! We stood around the mostly undecorated tree and talked for a few minutes and then exchanged phone numbers and contact info. What a nice thing!

We also wanted to hang the picture that was given to us by the family as a going-away present, so we chose the perfect location.

It was a beautiful sunny day (again) so we took a walk in the open space behind our house. I had Stephen take this photo because there's a prickly pear, a cholla cactus, and a sage brush all together.

I shed my coat, hat and gloves right away. It's interesting how the thermometer can be deceptive. We saw that it was 42 degrees at the airport, and we're up a bit higher, so I bundled up. But between the bright sunlight and the lack of moisture in the air, if it's not windy it feels much warmer.

This tree reminded Stephen of the tree on the marginal way in Ogunquit, ME that everyone used to sit in for pictures until it was roped off for its own safety. My Facebook profile picture was taken by the Maine tree, but I may have to change it to this one.

There are some spectacular rock formations, and Stephen says he keeps expecting to see Wile E. Coyote with a lever trying to dislodge one to fall on the Roadrunner.

After our hike, we headed into the city to the area on Central Ave where the used furniture and antique (junque) stores are. We were thinking of an old bookcase, or a table for the office, or maybe a comfy chair. Instead, we found a fabulous headboard/footboard for our bed, and gave it to each other for Christmas. We went to Cafe da Lat for dinner, and then came back and set up the new bed. We had thought about driving out to where the luminaria tour takes place, but we were just too tired, so we'll save that pleasure for next year.

So that was our first Christmas in New Mexico, and today we fly to NY to spend time with our wonderful families. When we get back we're looking forward to establishing a routine and getting into the "new normal" in our new place.

Moving In

Monday was the big day -- the truck arrived from NY with all our worldly goods, minus a few things we brought with us in June (Stephen) and September (Diane). Stephen had arranged for a co-worker's son and three of his friends to help unload. They got a little lost trying to find us in the maze of confusingly-named streets and cul-de-sacs in our neighborhood, but arrived in good time to start. It had turned sharply colder overnight, which was a bummer since Stephen had to pack the truck in the cold as well.

Our helpers were tireless, and by the time I picked up pizza for a late lunch, we had unloaded everything except for the big garage stuff such as the air compressor and the lathe. Stephen had borrowed the forklift from work to handle those items. Thankfully, I had to leave to go to work at that point so I didn't have to watch!

This is what every room in the house looked like when I left. Stephen and I had to work all day on Tuesday, so we didn't make any progress reducing the chaos. But on Wednesday morning, I needed to wait for the Direct TV guy, so I started unpacking boxes and setting up the bedroom and kitchen. My goal was to make it so that we could move in on Thursday. I didn't make much of a dent in the boxes, but I found the coffee maker, mugs, some bedding, night stands, and a lamp, among other things. By the time I went to work, I felt as though we might reach our Thursday goal.

On Thursday I had to be at the house by 9 AM to meet the mattress delivery guys. I wanted to get as much stuff as possible out of the apartment and bring Annabelle to the house by that time. I started as soon as Stephen left for work and made 17 trips down four flights of stairs with stuff. Annabelle and my oboe were the last things to go into the truck, and we made it to the house by quarter to nine. I really wish I understood what Annabelle was thinking. It must have been confusing to her to find our old familiar things (the couch, her toys, our bed) in an unfamiliar place. She followed me around all morning as I unpacked, talking away the whole time. Finally, she curled up on the bed and fell asleep. She acclimates very well to new situations, particularly considering how old she is (10). Our cat Maggie moved with us many times and always spent the first day hiding under a bed, terrified.

We stayed in the house overnight for the first time Thursday night. On Friday morning we were able to find the coffee and all the breakfast things. Stephen went off to work and I went shopping for food and bedding for the guest room. I also had to buy a microwave and various small items for the house such as magnetic cabinet latches, a paper towel holder, and a floor lamp.

Stephen picked up Katie at the airport after work and when my lessons were done I met them at Cafe Da Lat on Central Ave. Katie had done so much of the packing that she decided to come help with the unpacking! What an amazing housewarming gift! We were so excited to show her the house after dinner. Since we were exhausted from our crazy week and she was on East coast time, we turned in early.

On Saturday morning Katie and I got started organizing the kitchen before Stephen got up. Katie had actually unpacked and organized the kitchen in our Schuylerville house when we moved in, and in 16 years I only moved a couple of things. However, I have also come to enjoy cooking and baking since then, so I did have some idea of where things should go this time. Katie approved of most of the decisions I had already made, which made setting up the kitchen quite a bit faster than if we had needed to change everything I had already done.

When the kitchen was done, I wanted to show Katie the outside of the house since it was dark when she arrived the evening before. There were some things in the house that were supposed to have gone to the shed, such as flower pots, so we moved those and explored outside. Katie was glad to see that we have some cactus and large yucca in the landscape. We walked up to the start of the trail in the open space and Katie took a video. Then we decided we'd better get back to work!

We accomplished so much on Saturday afternoon that I can't remember the order we did things in. We put together the dining room furniture, found places to store things we don't use often, organized the boxes that can't be unpacked until we get more bookcases, put books on the bookcases we do have, and helped Stephen set up his office.

We quit at dinner time, and watched TV in the evening.

Saturday night I woke up hearing strange noises and got up to investigate. There was a tremendous snowstorm with wind blowing waves of snow against the skylight in the hall. Once I knew what I was hearing, I relaxed and went back to sleep. This is what we saw out the music room window Sunday morning.

The temperature was already above freezing, and the snow disappeared by about 10 AM.

After breakfast, Katie and I started breaking down boxes, folding packing paper, and consolidating boxes of packing peanuts. It was a lengthy process, and I was extremely glad I didn't have to do it by myself. Now Stephen has to take all the empty boxes and packing material to work where it will get reused.

When we were done with that, we brought boxes of books to Stephen's office and Katie got to see where he works. Then we went to the apartment to finish clearing it out, and while we were there I did a load of laundry, since we don't have a washer and dryer at the house yet. We had a late lunch at the Flying Star Cafe and headed back to the house to unload the apartment boxes. More boxes!

All work and no play would have been a shame, so Katie and I went to Old Town in the afternoon for some shopping. There was New Mexico music playing in the square and lots of people out enjoying the day. Katie got a kick out of the Christmas decorations next to cactus in several locations. We went in galleries and gift shops and Katie took photos of the old buildings. Then we headed back to the house for dinner and some more unpacking. We skyped with my family and Katie talked with her family on the phone, then we settled down for some TV and a snack.

Monday morning Stephen got ready to go to work and Katie packed. He took her to the airport on his way to the office. It was such an amazing weekend and I feel like we're really settled in to our new house now, able to find almost all of our things and to get on with our excellent adventure.

Updates

Stephen is home this weekend packing up the Schuylerville house, so I thought I might update some of my old posts.

In the post "Library Card" I misidentified a shrub by the entrance to my apartment as lavender. It's actually Russian Sage. There is giant lavender here as well, and I'm looking forward to planting some in the spring. There's a lavender festival in the summer which I'll be sure to visit. The herbs here grow so much bigger than in NY and there are so many different varieties that I have a lot to learn.

In the post "Apartment Life" I briefly wrote about what it's like to live in a small apartment. We have lived here for two and a half months now, and it has worked out extremely well. I'm very thankful that Stephen's company provided us with such a nice place to live while we looked for a house. Advantages: It takes me about 20 minutes to clean the entire apartment. It's super convenient to take your garbage and recycling to the bins. The gym is great, but there are also plenty of places to go for walks. Disadvantages: Annabelle can't go outside, she's a little bored, and having a litter box in the apartment is not my favorite thing. I scoop constantly. I still don't love hauling groceries up 4 flights of stairs, although I have learned to shop more frequently and buy less at a time.
I came here with a few instruments, maybe half of my clothes, my computer, 2 cookbooks, a very few kitchen things, and the cat. I miss the rest of my instruments, my bike, my kitchen, and my books/music. Oh yeah, and my mattress. I really miss my garden and all the produce I would have frozen by now. I'm looking forward to moving into our new house with all my stuff. But all things considered, apartment life has been good to us.

In the post "A Little Hike" I mentioned that Stephen has never been an outdoor person. I am absolutely thrilled to say that he actually looks forward to our weekend hikes, and suggests new places to hike. He is also considering getting a mountain bike so we can ride the trails near our new house together. Wow! What a bonus for me.

The house hunt was successful, and we're planning to close on Dec. 4 and move in Dec. 10. We have a few projects planned, but mostly the house is ready for occupancy. I want to strip wallpaper and paint the master bathroom, and I would like to change some window treatments. Stephen is going to put up a wall between the laundry room and a space he will use for extra garage storage. One of these days we'll take out the dining room carpet and put in a wood floor, and a wet bar will be converted to a pantry. Oh, and we are going to convert the fireplace from wood to gas, seeing as how we don't have a backyard full of trees anymore!

We have close neighbors but are separated by stucco walls. However, behind our back garden wall is open space, and at the end of the cul-de-sac is the trail head. I took this photo standing in our driveway. We can hike to the mountains you see in the distance.

This photo is the walkway from the street to the front entrance. Guests can more conveniently access the house from the driveway, though.

Professionally, I am starting to substitute teach although I haven't been called for music yet. I am teaching about 24 lessons per week at the New Mexico School of Music, a private lesson studio in Nob Hill. And I'm enjoying playing in the percussion section of the Albuquerque Concert Band. I do have a new appreciation for the percussion section, particularly right now as I'm sporting a lovely purple bruise on the top of my foot from dropping an orchestral triangle on it. There really IS extra gravity back there! I always suspected as much.

Stephen continues to love his job and the city of ABQ. The excellent adventure continues...